Javier Botet: The 6'7", 120lb actor who is changing the face of horror

THE NEW BORIS KARLOFF? Javier Botet is taking the horror world by storm

In haunted house flick The Other Side Of The Door, the Spaniard plays a four-armed Indian demon called Mytru who terrorises an expat American couple in Mumbai.

The elaborate costume meant he had to act completely blind.

“It was hard work acting in that make-up,” he says. “It was never very heavy but the biggest problem was having four hands covering my face.

“It was hard to breathe and the heat in Mumbai made it very uncomfortable.

"And for most of the time I was working completely blind.

“So I had to prepare with the director and make sure I learned the spaces of the location before I went into make-up.”

"I'm very proud of this movie we created."

Javier, 38, has become one of the most sought-after actors in horror since he starred in the 2013 smash hit Mama alongside Jessica Chastain.

He was born with Marfan's Syndrome, a rare genetic condition where individuals have long, flexible limbs. In the film, the actor, who is 6 foot 7 and weighs just 120 pounds, used his unusual appearance to devastating effect as the ghost of a Victorian woman.

Mama wasn't just a monster. She was also a grieving mum and Javier managed to communicate that pain without uttering a single word. It was a horrible and heart-breaking performance that was reminiscent of Boris Karloff's Frankenstein's monster.

20th Century Fox

SEE NO EVIL: Javier as the demon Myrtu in The Other Side Of The Door

Universal Pictures UK

VICTORIAN MUM: Mama was Javier's breakout role

“My problem became the key to open my dreams.”

Javier Botet

This is what Javier calls "acting with his body" and it's a skill that he taught himself after becoming hooked on movies as a child.

“I always felt different,” he says. “But I always experimented with my body in the bathroom mirror. Then I started making short films with friends. I was looking to create creatures and monsters.

“When I moved to Madrid, I met lots of movie people and I went to a workshop to learn how to make make-up for the monsters.